In his four-and-a-half years at N.C. State, senior Andrew Colley has been one of the most successful athletes at the University. The Williamsburg, Va. native is a three-time All-American and a two-time ACC Performer of the Year in cross country. In December, Colley finished seventh in the NCAA Cross Country Championships – the best finish ever by a member of the Wolfpack. The Technician got a chance to catch up with Colley to talk about his illustrious career with the Pack.
The Technician: You’ve had quite a decorated career here at N.C. State. What accolade would you say that you take the most pride in?
Colley: “The one that I take the most pride in is probably when we won the ACC title [in cross country] three years ago. I got second behind [former Wolfpack runner] Ryan [Hill], and finishing alongside him was a pretty cool moment. Just winning as a team, that’s probably my favorite performance.”
Q: When you came to State, you only raced cross country. At this point in your career, would you say that you like track or cross country better?
A: “At this point, I’d probably say that I prefer track because I like the fact that the crowd can see you the whole time, and it can get pretty pumped up.”
Q: Your times indicate that you seem to be more comfortable outdoors. One would assume that it would be easier to run indoors, but is that not the case for you?
A: “I definitely feed off the outdoors. I’m the kind of guy that when it’s cloudy and rainy, my mood reflects that, but when it’s sunny and it’s a great day outside, I feel like I run faster. My dad is a park ranger, so I grew up being outside.”
Q: Running all of these races must take a lot out of you. Where do you find your inspiration?
A: “I get my inspiration most from my family and my coaches. They seem to always believe in me when the majority wouldn’t believe in me. Having those people believe in me, that usually helps me to do things that people think I’m incapable of doing.”
Q: You’ve been with head coach Rollie Geiger for quite some time now. What’s your relationship with him?
A: “We’ve had a pretty stressful relationship because I get a lot of injuries [laughs]. He’s been a great coach, and he’s helped me to perform to the best of my abilities. He’s taught me, over these four years, to become a better person, and that’s probably the most valuable thing. It’s translated into my running too. I’m a Virginia boy, so he’s kind of become a father figure.”
Q: You mentioned Ryan Hill earlier. You two were quite a one-two punch when you raced together. Talk about the friendship that you two shared.
A: “Right from the start, when I came to N.C. State, Ryan was getting really good, and he helped me get better. We did all our workouts together back when he was on the team. We were best friends on the course, and we were really good friends outside of practice too. He’s out in Oregon running for a career, so he’s someone I aspire to be like.”
Q: You guys had a really young cross country team this year. As a senior, how did you act as a mentor to those younger guys?
A: “I like to lead by example the best I can: do all the little things right, and hopefully they pick up on it. I like to get to know everyone on the team at a personal level, just so it’s easier to relate to them. Then if they’re struggling in a workout or something, I can relate to them personally so they don’t just think that I’m trying to be a leader, but I actually care about how they do and can help them succeed.”
Q: What do you think that you’re going to miss most about N.C. State?
A: “I’ll probably miss the people here the most. Ever since the first year I came here, everyone has been really nice, and we’ve all really grown together as a team. The teachers in my major and the coaches that I’ve had have become sort of my family here. It’s going to be tough saying goodbye to everybody, but it’s something that everyone has to do.”
Q: What are your plans from here? What’s next after the season ends?
A: “After that, I’m going to run professionally and pursue a career in running. These next couple months will determine where I go. With NCAAs coming up, you can’t get caught looking too far ahead.”
